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India's fight showed up too late on England tour

On the final day of the tour, Indian batsmen showed the fight expected of them all summer. Still, England won the Oval Test to take the series 4-1.

| TNN | Sep 12, 2018, 08:11 IST

Highlights

Risbah Pant and KL Rahul struck fighting tons but still couldn't save India from defeat in the Oval Test

India lost the five-match series with a comprehensive 4-1 margin

James Anderson went past Glenn McGrath's 563 wickets to become the most successful Test fast bowler

(AP Photo)

LONDON: Two young turks tried to change the writing on the wall. They fought hard, came close but it was not to be. KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant’s heroic final day effort couldn’t save India from a 4-1 humiliation against an England side that is not going through its best phase at the moment.

When James Anderson uprooted Mohammad Shami’s middle-stump to notch up the victory for England, he became the highest wicket-taker among fast bowlers, going past Glenn McGrath’s 563. The joy on Anderson’s face said it all, but it was also about the relief. He had toiled the whole day for this one.

For a large part of Tuesday, Anderson & Co looked in doubt whether they would be able to notch up victory in Alastair Cook’s farewell Test, thanks to Rahul (149) and Pant

(114), who dished out a spectacular non-Kohli batting show from an Indian perspective.

Both the batsmen knew this was probably their last chance to show that they are cut out for this level. While Rahul had a belowpar series, Pant, after the initial show of aggression on debut, had looked like a fish out of water. And when the two batted together after the back-to-back blows of Ajinkya Rahane (37) and Hanuma Vihari (0) deep into the second hour, not too many expected the game to be stretched to the last hour.

Rahul, till Pant had come in, looked to play his shots at every given opportunity. His aim was to throw both James Anderson and Stuart Broad off their line and length, and he was partially successful in doing that. With Rahane playing solidly at the other end, Rahul’s fearless approach paid dividends on a pitch that wasn’t doing too much for the seam bowlers. Rahane, too, was doing a decent job till a false sweep shot off Moeen Ali brought about his downfall. Vihari failed to carry on the good work of the first innings and it seemed the end was near.

But from here, it was over to Pant and Rahul. The wicket-keeper-batsman, after giving himself a little bit of time to settle down, launched into a brutal assault on Moeen and leggie Adil Rashid. He picked the spinners up from the rough and hit them all over the park, making things really difficult for Joe Root. The fact that the England captain chose to stay on with his spinners in the second session instead of bringing on Anderson and Broad helped Pant to be so effective.

Rahul decided to buckle down, even though the odd shot was always there. The daredevilry of the duo was evident in the way they brought about their centuries. While Rahul went from his 80s to his fifth Test century with a succession of 4, 6 and 4, Pant reached his maiden ton the way he scored his first runs in Test cricket – an over-boundary.

The duo put up 204 in 44.3 overs for the sixth wicket and suddenly there was a hint of hope for India. But Root gambled here with his leggie Rashid. There was a bit of a rough created outside the right-hander’s legstump and Root believed Rashid could cash in on it. The leggie didn’t let his captain down when he pitched one to Rahul way outside the leg-stump. It spun like a spitting cobra from the rough to take the off-bail of Rahul. The opener looked stunned and so did every Indian fan who had just started believing.

The second new ball was looming but Root delayed it by continuing with Rashid. Pant, at this point, showed a bit of immaturity when he tried to hit Rashid out of the attack and ended up giving a catch to long-off.

England now knew the end was near and once Root took the second new ball, it was game, set and match for the hosts.

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